Process and apparatus for the conversion of petroleum oil



Feb, 2, 1932. G. EGLOFF ET AL 1,843,711

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE CONVERSION OF PETROLEUM OIL Filed Jan. 14. 1922 Patented Feb. 2, i932.

UNITE STATES PATENT oFFlcl:

GUSTAV EGLOFF AN D JACQUE C. MORRELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO UNI- VERSAL` OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE CONVERSION OF PETROLEUM OIL Application filed January 14, 1922. Serial No. 529,128.

rlhisl invention relates to improvements in a process and apparatus for converting petroleum oil and refers more particularly to a process for converting relatively high boiling point oils into oils having a lower boiling point and having the characteristics of gasoline or similar oils. The process is preferably operated continuously to convert a maximum amount of oil charge to lower boiling point hydrocarbons, a pressure being maintained continuously upon the oil during operation.

The single figure is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, the loil to be treated is introduced through the line 1 controlled by a valve 2 and is charged by means of the pump 3 to the chamber 4 where it is maintained at a predetermined level. The chamber 4 together with heating coils 5 which are connected through the line 6 to the chamber 4, are mounted in a furnace 7 which is preferably heated by means of gas burners 8. The oil-flowing from the chamber down through the heating coils, is raised to a conversion temperature and is introduced into the expansion chamber 9 through the transfer line 10 by a vertical stand pipe l1. The heated oil overflowing this stand pipe, is permitted to vaporize, the evolved vapors passing off through the line l2 to the dephlegmating tower 13 where they are partially condensed, the reflux vapors passing off to the condenser 14 through the line l5 controlled by a valve 16, and the condensed products either being drawn ofll through the line 17 controlled by a valve 18 or may be returned through the line 19 in which is interposed a valve 20. The unvaporized oil from the expansion chamber may be drawn olf as residuum through' the pipe 2l controlled by a valve 22. The lower boiling pointl fractions which are released from the oil during the initial heating in the chamber 4, pass out through the vapor line 23 to the dephlegmator 24 and rising therein, pass olf through line 25 controlled by a valve 26 which has connection with the vapor lline l5 leading to the condenser 14. The combined distillate from the two dephlegmators is collected in pressure upon the system. This togetherl with the valves interposed in the separate lines supply adequate control of the vapor pressure on the oil during'treatment.

The reflux condensate separated from the oil vapors in the dephlegmator 24 is drawn off through line 29 controlled by a throttle valve 30 and may be combined with the reflux condensate returned through the line 19. These refiuxed products may be returned and introduced through the heating coils 5 forretreatment. The oil body maintained in the chamber 4 being somewhat above the level of the top of the stand pipe 11 assures a circulation towards the expansion chamber and provides an ample oil supply to the heating tubes thus preventing the formation of vapor pockets in the tubes and the accumulation of objectionable carbon. In addition to this, the oil body prior to its circulation through the heating tubes, is preheated sufficiently to drive olf the low boiling point fractions which proceed through a separate portion of the-apparatus duringvaporization. The relatively high boiling point oils which must necessarily be heated to higher temperature, are circulated through the tubes and vaporized in the chamber 9. The separate distillation combined with the recirculation of the reflux produces an improved and higher quality final distillate.

By circulating mid-continent gas oil of approximately 32 B. and preheating it as ex plained in the chamber 4 to a temperature from 800 to 800 F. and circulating the liquid oil from the chamber to the heating tubes at temperatures ranging up to 800 or 900 F. while maintaining a substantial vapor pressure upon the oil and recycling the reflux from the separate condensers as eX- plained, a final distillate comprising from 40 to 60% of the oil charge, may be obtained, having a gravity of from 48 to 52 B.

We claim as our invention:

1. An apparatus for cracking hydrocarbon 011, comprising a furnace, an enlarged cham- 2 neeavri ber positioned in the coolest portion of the urnace, means for introducing oil to said enlarged chamber, means for taking od vapors from said chamber, a heating coil posi- 5 tioned in the hottest portion ot said furnace,

means for conveying oil from said chamber to said coil, means for 'delivering oil from said coil to an enlarged reaction chamber,

means for taking ed vapors from said enlarged reaction chamber, separate means for dephlegmating the vapors issuing from the enlarged chamber positioned in the coolest portion of said furnace and the vapors issuing from said enlarged reaction chamber and means for returning redux condensate trom such separate dephlegmating means to said coil for further treatment, and means for maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on the oil undergoing treatment in the apparatus.,

2 A process for cracking hydrocarbon oil, which consists in. subjecting a substantial body of charging oil to distillation, subjecting the vapors therefrom to dephlegmation, subjecting the residual oil to cracking conditions of temperature and pressure, passing said heated oil to an enlarged zone ot reaction Where further vapors are evolved, subjecting said vapors to dephlegmation, combining the redux condensate `from both of said dephlegmation steps with the residual charging oil before subjecing'it to the cracking temperature, combining the vapors uncondensed by each of said dephlegmation steps for nal condensation as the product of the process.

GUSTAV EGLOFF., JACQUE C., MURRELL 

